"At this point, can we drop the act?" Smoker said with a wry smile. "We're not actually idiots, you know."
"Huh? You're not?"
The old-timers blinked in genuine surprise, their expressions so earnest that Smoker silently lowered his head.
Mouth Shut.
If he didn't, he might just snap at these old coots.He finally understood why Michael had chosen such a name for his pirate crew when he inexplicably set sail—it really was a ship full of old geezers.
"Cough, cough, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, please stop teasing us," Hina chuckled before continuing, "Now that the truth about the Golden Thief and the Old Geezers Pirates is out... those two hiding behind you, deliberately keeping their backs turned... wouldn't they be the rumored Angel Alliance vice admirals who supposedly died at Enies Lobby? Our dear Shu and T-Bone?"
The two named by Hina stiffened before reluctantly turning around under her overwhelming pressure, revealing awkward smiles.
"Ahahaha, well, what can we do?"
"You actually found us out, Hina! What a shame!"
"A real shame indeed." Hina's smile remained unchanged, but the two men detected a hint of... murderous intent.
"Faking your deaths just to go along with Michael's nonsense—are you two out of your minds!? Do you have any idea how we've been struggling all this time!? Our heads were filled with nothing but thoughts of avenging you two!"
"Cough, actually, in a little while, once we safely enter the New World, the insiders at Enies Lobby were planning to send this information to all members of the SWORD Classified Special Forces..." Shu forced a laugh before immediately dropping to his knees in a deep bow before Hina.
"We're sorry! Considering Michael's return and the presence of our former superiors, please let us off this once!"
"Let you off? Too late!" Hina snorted coldly. "You'd better pray that when those guys lying on the ground wake up, they don't immediately kill you."
Shu and T-Bone shivered in unison.
They knew they'd taken this joke way too far.
So... their only hope now was that the overwhelming joy of Michael's return would make everyone selectively forget about the two fakers who'd pretended to die.
"What are you all talking about?" Michael returned with the two sisters still wiping tears and snot.
"If you want to make Shu and T-Bone's fake deaths real, I don't have any objections."
With that, he shrugged at Shu's bitter smile before turning to walk toward the still-unconscious pillars of the SWORD Classified Special Forces.
The six wings of the Seraphim were no longer concealed, spreading out as holy light showered down.
Under the healing stimulus, all five gradually opened their eyes.
Their first sight was Michael standing before them.
"Now this... is a nostalgic scene."
Michael smiled, recalling the early days of the SWORD Classified Special Forces when they endured the Marine higher-ups' "care" through relentless daily training.
"It really is you, Michael! When you locked me down earlier, I was thinking—I've never done drugs, so why am I hallucinating?" Enel muttered, though his previously furrowed brow had already relaxed into lazy contentment.
"Good to have you back." Hawkeye had always been reserved with his emotions.
Though he merely nodded at Michael, a long-absent flicker of excitement appeared in his eyes.
"Father!"
The most exaggerated reaction, of course, came from Hancock.
She leaped forward with such force that she knocked her two younger sisters aside, then immediately clung to Michael.
Heaven have mercy!
Hancock was already taller than him now!
In a way, Hancock was actually the most childish of the three sisters…
Especially when it came to Michael.
However, after serving as an admiral for several years, Hancock had clearly matured a lot—and most importantly, she now had a reputation to uphold.
So she didn't cling to Michael for long.
After whispering, "Father, you're on your own now," into his ear, she hopped down and delivered a sharp spinning kick straight at Shu and T-Bone.
"You two bastards! Why don't you just go die for real?!"
As she pummeled the two into the ground, she kept shouting things like, "I wanted to sail with Father and become a pirate too! None of you idiots are as pirate-professional as me! This is a family legacy!"
Meanwhile, Michael had no time to worry about Shu and T-Bone anymore…
Because standing before him now were two women.
"Uh, hey, ladies… Are your eyes a little too terrifying right now?"
Michael greeted Stella and Crocodile with a smile…
Then casually wiped away the cold sweat that had inexplicably started dripping down his forehead.
The moment he spoke, the previously chaotic surroundings fell dead silent…
A few old-timers quickly ushered everyone away from the brewing storm.
Even Hancock, who had been busy beating up Shu and T-Bone, grabbed them by their collars, tossed them aside, and then rushed back to silently continue her assault.
Michael gulped.
He turned back, about to say something, but the two women simultaneously threw themselves into his arms.
This was nothing like the hugs from his daughters.
In an instant, Michael's entire body stiffened.
His hands hovered awkwardly, unsure where to rest them.
But in the end, he steeled himself, settled them on their waists, and then tightened his embrace slightly.
After spending a full decade over 800 years in the past, he had begun to come to terms with his true nature…
If he was a scumbag, then so be it.
At least a scumbag could make everyone happy.
But Crocodile and Stella didn't say a single word the entire time.
They simply clung to Michael, greedily inhaling the lavender scent purified by the Holy light that lingered on him.
He had no idea how much time had passed.
Just as he was about to break the silence, feeling it had gone on too long, he spotted Imu staring at him blankly from a distance.
At that moment, Michael felt his soul leave his body.
What was he supposed to say now?
Perfect timing?
While he was still struggling with his thoughts, Imu sprinted toward him without hesitation…
Then leaped up and smacked him hard on the forehead.
"You've got time to hug women, huh?!"
"Something huge just happened!"
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